Virgin Mary In The Italian Renaissance

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The Italian Renaissance focused on the emphasis of expanding knowledge, exploration of potential, commitment to civic responsibility, and a human centric outlook. It focuses on all humanistic aspects, including anatomy and emotional expression. In the video Michelangelo Pietá, Dr. Beth Harris and Dr. Zucker, discuss the marble sculpture of the Virgin Mary holding the body of Christ. The word pietá is often translated as pity or compassion. The video examines the emotional relationship between Christ and the Virgin Mary. The Virgin Mary is tilting her head down as she looks at the lifeless body of her son. Dr. Zucker and Dr. Harris analyze the emotional aspect of and state the reciprocal relationship of the two; Christ endured pain and now the Virgin Mary is enduring pain. They also discuss the details of the sculpture and compare the marble to flesh and the texture of the drapes. In the video Mona Lisa, Dr. Harris and Dr. Zucker examine Leonardo da Vinci’s painting Mona Lisa. They begin with …show more content…

Harris and Dr. Zucker discuss Raphael’s painting, Madonna of the Goldfinch in the video Raphael, Madonna of the Goldfinch. Madonna is seen sitting on a rock and reading. St. John is on her left and Christ is on her right and they are depicted as children, as if St. John and Christ interrupted her solitude. St. John is holding out a goldfinch and Christ strokes its head. The painting depicts a pyramid composition creating stability and balance. Dr. Harris and Dr. Zucker discuss the conceptual aspects of that painting, like how the goldfinch is a symbol of the passion of Christ and how it is a foretelling of Christ’s terrible future. Even though the concept is grim, the painting also depicts this aura of eternity and perfection. St. John’s facial expression and body gestures resembles the ones of a baby, a child likeness in John, but Christ’s posture is elegant and he does not seem to be as happy as John. Madonna also looks down at the children with a nurturing

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